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Restore
Synonyms: refresh, renew, renovate, rejuvenate A couple months ago, in an effort to keep better track of my patterns and gain deeper insight into sleep and exercise, I decided to try out an Oura ring. This simple wearable provides a fascinating look under the hood of daily and nightly activities. My favorite, while perhaps the most exposing aspect of what it tracked, is the stress reading throughout the day. Based on heart rate and activity levels, physiological stress is measured in the following categories: stressed, engaged, relaxed, and restored. Stress is a very normal part of life, but I have been noticing some interesting patterns: I tend to live in the stressed zone much more often than I would have expected. My body is likely sending me signals I have not slowed down enough to listen to. There’s a mismatch internally - I try to do all the “best” and “right” things for my holistic health, but I have a hard time achieving a state of restored.
For weeks now, I often log several hours of stress a day even though I exercise, eat healthy, and am mindful of my sleep hygiene. Despite my best attempts to follow holistic advice about caring for myself, it turns out I’ve been neglecting something simpler: pausing long enough to actually listen to what my body, mind, and heart need to feel safe and restored. To feel comfortable enough for my stress levels to settle and give me access to my thinking, creative, and more secure self. I realized I needed something external to cue me in on what was happening internally. This made me wonder when we stopped listening to our bodies’ internal cues and started turning to other people, or even devices, for guidance on how to feel relaxed and restored. When was the last time you took a couple minutes to connect with your inner voice and really hear what your body and spirit needed? Truthfully, this is something I’m still actively working on. Perhaps the need is for a nap. To eat something before chugging your second (or third) cup of coffee. To go on a brief walk up and down the hallway in between meetings. To reach out for support from a loved one or trained professional when you’re in need of some co-regulation. No matter what the need may be, it may be worth taking some time to consider: What contributes to feeling restored and what quietly pulls you away from it? Mountain Clarity: There are few places more restorative to me than nature. Looking up at the trees, especially redwoods like the ones in the photo above, reminds me that we are part of something much bigger. Some of these trees have been alive for hundreds of years, and will likely outlive us by many more. They take what they need from the sun and the soil, and in turn, provide shelter and nutrients to the life around them. How much more could we offer to others and the world around us if we took what we needed to thrive? What if restoration wasn’t something we earned after doing everything “right,” but a baseline we returned to by listening more closely to our own bodies? Journal Prompts for Reflection: When was the last time you can remember feeling truly restored? What is like in your body and mind? What are some of the signals your body gives you when you need rest and regulation? What does the advice to slow down and listen to your internal self bring up for you? Does it feel natural? Does it feel unfamiliar? What are aspects of your life that make it challenging to settle into a state of restoration? Are there ways to invite more support from loved ones or your community so that you can have more time for yourself to pause? Last month, I wrote about recovery and this month is about restoration. I wonder what has come up for you as you consider these similar themes and how they might be inspiring small, subtle shifts in your life.
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